Trial and Error

Running an online business is not easy. Luckily, there is a lot of information out there. Many people have started an online business. Many have done well, and many have failed. A lot of them have been generous enough to give us some tips and tricks. People have invented many technological tools that will give us ideas and predictions on how well an idea will work. The keyword planner in google was very useful. However, there is also some trial and error that goes along with starting a business. I had some keywords that I thought would perform well, the keyword planner thought would perform well, and really they didn't get anywhere. However,  the tool also gave me some ideas to switch around some keywords, and it was really helpful. After a couple weeks, I reevaluated, and optimized the site, and my Ads. At the end, I still have a lot more to learn, I am learning it takes constant reevaluation, using all the tools at your disposal, and a some trial and error, and going with your gut. Doing all of this gives you a better chance to succeed.

Google Ad Optimization

Google really wants everyone to be successful, because that is what makes them successful. If  people are clicking on Advertisements, and deciding they are not worth their time, and immediately clicking away, they eventually will start to distrust google, and not click on Advertisements. If people stop clicking on Ads, companies will stop spending money on them, and then google will lose a lot of money. So t is in their best interest as a company to help people learn how to make good Ads, get them in front of the right people, and help everybody win. As you go through the process to place an Ad, then to keep updating it, Google will give you many tips. They will help you find better keyword, and better titles. They will show you what words are performing better, and offer suggestions. They offer top of line analytics to help you run better performing Ads. Bottom line, Google isn't leaving you hanging. If you do your research, and take advantage of the tools they offer, you will be able to run better performing Ads, make more money, and be part of something great!

The 4 Best Mobile Phone Photography Tips

The 4 Best Mobile Phone Photography Tips Reviewed

1.      LIGHTING: It doesn’t matter how awesome the subject of your photo is, if the lighting is off, people won’t look at it. Yes, we have filters on almost any application or camera these days, but do not rely on them. Do the best you can to get the lighting right before you take the photo, and then if needed you can edit it to perfection after the fact.

·        Natural Lighting is your best friend. Flashes can wash out your photos and create unnatural looking images. Try and take photos outdoors, and when inside, take them near open windows, at a well-lit time of the day, without the sun shining directly through the window. If shooting at night, try and find sources of ambient lighting before relying on your flash.

·        Have you heard the term Golden hour? This is the time frame when the sun is rising or setting and is low on the horizon. If you want to take photos when the sun is directly overhead, your photos will be overexposed, and that is hard to correct. When the sun is low, the lighting is wonderful. If you can’t shoot during that time, try and find a place where the sun is not directly overhead.

2.      Depth: Consider the items around your subject that add interest to the photo. For example, when taking a picture of your kid on the beach, sure you could just zoom in and get the picture of your kid but consider the following that might add texture and depth to the photo.

·        Are they sitting in the sand? Some of the texture and color?

·        How is the water behind them? Are there waves? What would those add to the picture?

·        Are there any interesting buildings behind them?

All of these things can add interest without taking away from the main subject of the photo.

3.      Rule Of thirds: This helps guide your eye to the subject in a natural and pleasing way. Beginners often tend to center their subject in a photo, but this is not what is most pleasing to the eye. Think of your photo as a 3x3 grid. When taking a photo of your subject, or editing it later, consider putting the subject along one of those grid lines. It will look more natural and be a more balanced photo. This can be done in editing after the fact, but only if there is enough in the photo to edit. If you take a photo that is already zoomed in, you will not have enough material to work with, so keep this in mind.

4.      Perspective: When taking a photo, we tend to stand where we are, and snap the photo. Most photos are taken this way. Consider a new perspective.  Crouch down to get a different angle of the subject. Maybe get up higher, on a roof, or a ladder and look at your subject from above. Instinct is to take a photo at eye level, but try getting out of the box, and looking at it from a different perspective. You will be surprised at how your photo changes.

Google Analytics

This week showed me ow much there is to Google Ads that I do not know, but I am excited to keep learning. I feel like I read a summary this week, but still do not have any idea on how to use this powerful tool. I think technology has come so far, in such s short time. Years ago, when people marketed, they just came up with an idea, and through it out to the masses. Now, because of tools like google analytics, we can know so many things about our customers, and we can then take that information, and market directly to our target audience. Google analytics shows us what people are doing on our site. How long are they staying on each page, what are they looking at? What website or ad brought them to us? We can figure out if the advertisement we wrote is effective, and if not, we can do better.

Google Ad's really can be simple or complicated. AT this stage, we are using it simply,but the great thing is, google ads wants to help us. They want the Ads to be a good experience for the marketer, the user, and them. Because of this, they really make it as easy as possible, because they want you to succeed.